Details

Own a piece of wood history and turn it into your next Monster Project – a slab from Rocky Mehta’s “Tree Find of a Lifetime,” a Pequiá tree he discovered in Brazil that is over 1,000 years old!

Mehta, who owns West Penn Hardwoods with his wife Kim, travels the world in search of amazing wood discoveries. While in Brazil, Rocky discovered his latest find –a huge Pequiá tree that was partially burned and partially hollow, but still standing. The trunk measured 10' 9" in diameter and was fully covered in burls. The Pequiá was the only tree in a 15-20-acre area surrounded by swamp, which is why it caught Mehta’s eye. The owner of the land said the tree had been standing there dead, burned, and hollow for 60 years.

Mehta’s supplier had the tree tested and found the old Pequiá tree to be between 1,000 and 1,100 years old. West Penn Hardwoods had to wait six months to receive a permit to obtain the tree before it could be harvested, which turned out to be quite a challenge. The base was so big it had to be cut into four sections, because the local sawmill could only cut 52" wide.

Once cutting began, burl was discovered throughout the entire tree. The Pequiá has tight yellow, beige, and light gray grain with a medium density. Each slab has its own individual characteristics, from charred edges to uncommon shapes and one-of-a-kind grain patterns. You will never find anything like these slabs again!

These unique slabs are now available exclusively at your local Woodcraft Store or online at woodcraft.com. Slabs have been surfaced planed and sanded to 120 grit. Slabs are shipped by truck freight only. To view other slabs, visit woodcraft.com and search for “slab” or “slabs.”

Due to the burl characteristics of this particular log, it is not possible to kiln dry the slabs. The unique cell structure of burl wood is temperamental and prone to surface checking and small cracks that will appear as the wood air dries.

When purchasing this unique wood, keep in mind that movement, such as small cracks or checks in the surface of your Pequia slab is normal and part of the nature of wood and not considered a defect.

A sudden change in temperature or humidity is the worst thing possible as moisture will be sucked out of or pushed into the material far too quickly causing tension inside the wood fibers. Excess heat and dryness can even cause cracking, warping, cupping and splitting and should be avoided.

Even after being sawn, all wood is “alive”. Because of the unique cell structure, expanding and contracting seasonally is normal. Proper preparation and finishing of your slab is essential to preventing future damage from occurring.

Please consider your experience level in working with burl wood when deciding if this very special Pequia is the right wood for your project. Consult with your local Woodcraft experts to discuss the best way to preserve this beautiful wood.

Wood is a product of nature, and as such, no two pieces are alike to start with, while the same wood growing in different locales can vary greatly even though it is the exact same species.